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Attorney General Jack Conway is urging Kentuckians to participate in a
prescription drug “Take-Back” day on Saturday, April 26, 2014, from 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. local time by safely disposing of any unused, unneeded, or expired
prescription drugs.

This marks the eighth nationwide “Take-Back” day with prescription drug
collection sites in local communities across the country. More than 70
collection sites have been designated in Kentucky as part of the initiative,
which is designed to help prevent an increase in prescription drug abuse and
theft.

The Office of the Attorney General will be hosting a “Take-Back” event
at its office in Prestonsburg located at 361 North Lake Drive. Residents
throughout the state may search for a site near their communities by visiting
the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) website at http://tinyurl.com/46jpask.

Nationally, prescription painkillers
are the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, and one in three Kentuckians has a friend or family
member who has experienced problems as a result of abusing prescription pain
relievers, according to the 2012 Kentucky Health
Issues Poll (KHIP). Additionally, a report by the nonprofit Trust for
America’s Health lists Kentucky as having the third-highest rate of fatal
overdoses in the country – the vast majority from prescription pills.

“Through this initiative, our efforts, in combination with the great
work of the DEA and local law enforcement agencies, have resulted in the
collection and proper disposal of thousands of pounds of unneeded prescription
drugs that would otherwise pose a threat to Kentucky families,” Attorney
General Conway said. “These take-back events serve a critical role in
making our communities safer by keeping potentially addictive and deadly
prescription medications out of the wrong hands.”

During a national “Take-Back” day in October 2013, 647,211 pounds of
expired and unwanted prescription medications were turned in at 5,683
collection sites across the United States, according to the DEA.
Kentuckians turned in 9,171 pounds of prescription drugs at 77 collection
locations across the state during last year’s event.

Kentucky continues to make progress in its fight against the epidemic of
prescription drug abuse. According to the 2012 Kentucky Incentives for
Prevention School Survey, the percentage of Kentucky teens misusing
prescription drugs has dropped dramatically over the past four years.

Additionally, the latest report from the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration shows the non-medical use of prescription pain
relievers among all age groups in Kentucky is down, and the state is below the
national average for prescription drug abuse.

The “Take-Back” initiative is a collaborative effort between local,
state, and federal law enforcement and government agencies. The service
is free and anonymous.

Prescription Drug Diversion Efforts

Attorney General Conway launched Kentucky’s first and only statewide
Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force in August of 2009. The task
force has been involved in more than 450 prescription drug diversion
investigations, including Operation Flamingo Road, the state’s largest
prescription drug bust that resulted in the arrest of more than 500 people.

General Conway also worked closely with Governor Beshear, House Speaker
Stumbo, Senate President Stivers and other lawmakers to win passage of landmark
legislation in 2012 to prevent the abuse and diversion of prescription pills in
the Commonwealth. Since passage of HB 1, overdose deaths in Kentucky
declined for the first time in a decade and more than half of the state’s pain
management clinics have closed their doors.

In January 2014, General Conway announced that more than $32 million
recovered in settlements with two pharmaceutical companies is being used
throughout Kentucky to expand substance abuse treatment, including opiate
addictions. The settlement funds will create a new treatment center for
adults, treatment scholarships, a grant program for new juvenile treatment beds
and/or centers, and expanded services for juveniles.

In addition to the work being done here in the Commonwealth, Attorney
General Conway reached across party lines to work with Attorney General Pam
Bondi in Florida to ensure that her state implemented an electronic
prescription drug monitoring system similar to Kentucky’s KASPER system.
Together they have worked to shut down the pill pipeline between Florida and
Kentucky and to see that all 50 states have prescription drug monitoring
programs in place and that all of the programs can share data across state lines.

Keep Kentucky Kids Safe

In 2010, General Conway launched the Keep Kentucky Kids Safe initiative
with the Kentucky Justice Cabinet and its Office of Drug Control Policy,
Kentucky Pharmacists Association, National Association of Drug Diversion
Investigators (NADDI), Operation UNITE and concerned parents. Since its launch,
Attorney General Conway and his partners have warned approximately 40,000
students, parents, and teachers about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

As part of the Keep Kentucky Kids Safe program, students are encouraged
to participate in an annual statewide video PSA contest created to raise
awareness about the risks of prescription drug abuse.